Campbell to Take on Maramarua Rally
Campbell to take on Maramarua
Rally
Tauranga’s Phil Campbell will take
part in this weekend’s Maramarua Rally as he continues to
gain mileage in his new R2 specification Ford
Fiesta.
Campbell and co-driver Venita Fabbro made
the best start to their New Zealand Rally Championship
campaign at Rally Otago, heading home the two-wheel drive
field, but are looking to gain more time behind the wheel
and continue to learn the new Letts Construction-backed R2
Fiesta, which is far more modified than the N3 Fiesta the
team has used across the last three seasons.
While
not a championship event, the Maramarua event sees a total
of 120km of competitive action across nine special stages
all centred in the Maramarua Forest, widely regarded as the
spiritual home of New Zealand Rallying. As well as providing
extra seat time, it gives Campbell a look at some roads that
will be used later in the season at the penultimate round of
the NZRC, the Possum Bourne Memorial Rally.
The
event also utilises a unique seeding system whereby the
two-wheel drive cars run before the four-wheel drive cars,
potentially giving Campbell and his fellow two-wheel drive
competitors better road conditions than most
events.
“Maramarua should be a good event for us
and a great opportunity to get some time in the new Letts
Construction R2 Fiesta before the second round of the NZRC,
Rally Whangarei,” says Campbell.
The Maramarua
Rally starts from Maramarua Forest headquarters at 9am on
Saturday with nine special stages all based in the forest
before touring back to the finish at the Hamilton Car Club
just before 5pm.
ENDS